U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,647, for example, discloses an electrical connector having: electrical contact parts to which electrical connections to conductive wires are in use made; and a socket for receiving a mating plug such that elongate electrical contact portions of the connector electrically connect to connection parts of the plug; the elongate electrical contact portions being formed on respective separate electrical contact elements of the connector, which contact elements each have formed thereon such contact parts; the elongate contact portions being arranged, over substantial parts of the lengths thereof, in generally parallel disposition substantially in a common plane, and the contact parts extending substantially normally away from said plane, at one side of the plane, to free ends of the contact parts arranged in rows extending generally parallel to the direction of extent of the elongate contact portions.
With prior connectors of this kind, each contact part is provided on a separate contact element and multiple connections to the contact elements via these may not be easily affected.